Is your Ethernet fast enough Four new speeds are in the works

Without diving too deep into those details, here are some of the new technologies brewing in Ethernet.

1. 25-Gigabit

A 25Gbps standard may seem like a step backward, because 40-Gigabit and 100-Gigabit Ethernet already exist. But in fact, it's all about the need for more speed, specifically from servers in cloud data centers. GoogleGoogle and MicrosoftMicrosoft are the biggest buyers of Ethernet now, largely because their cloud operations require so much data exchange between servers, according to DellDell'Oro Group analyst Alan Weckel. Alles zu Dell auf CIO.de Alles zu Google auf CIO.de Alles zu Microsoft auf CIO.de

The key to 25-Gigabit Ethernet is that many of the components that could go into it are already developed: The 100-Gigabit standard is made up of four "lanes" of 25Gbps, so many of the same parts go into that high-end gear. That should mean higher production volumes for parts that go into both technologies, driving prices down.

Rallying around 25Gbps also gives network architects a logical way to build their data centers, with servers linking to switches at 25Gbps and the switches aggregating those connections into 100-Gigabit uplinks, Weckel said. That four-to-one ratio is what they're used to working with.